1. What do you think Google sees in Uber? Do you think the firm should have invested in Uber? Why or why not
2. Is Uber good for the economy or bad? Justify your answer
3. How might Uber impact cities? Impact car ownership? Should municipalities embrace Uber? Ban it? Regulate it? Have local authorities acted on ride-sharing services like Uber? Do you think their action was appropriate? Develop recommendations for your region and present it to class
4. Lyft has tried to compete with Uber by undercutting the firm's surge pricing. Will this tactic work? Why or why not?
5. How does Uber cut costs compared with traditional taxi and limo fleet operators?>
6. How does Uber leverage data in its service? What aspects of the firm's operations are improved through data analytics? Does this provide the firm with sustainable competitive advantage? Why or why not?
7. What is UberPOOL? What will need to happen for this to be a "win" for both customers and drivers? Why does Uber management think it can pull this off?
8. What do you think of Uber's plans for autonomous vehicles (self-driving cars)? Would you feel safe riding in one that did not have a backup human driver? Do you think What do you think of Uber's market experimentations, as well as its novel but unsuccessful efforts like its troubled leasing program? Is this "spaghetti management" (meaning throw it at the wall and see what sticks) or a systematic exploration of growth opportunities in an attempt to gain a competitive advantage before others arrive? Would the company have been smarter to focus on the profitability of its core business first, or is it smarter to stretch its reach into potentially lucrative new areas? vehicles will make roads more or less safe? Why?
9. Why has Uber received bad press? Is the coverage fair? What could the firm have done to present some of this coverage? Is the firm doing enough? Why or why not? Do you feel safe riding in an Uber or Lyft? Do you feel more or less safe in a traditional taxi?